Resilient contact for bumper switches



Feb. 16, 1943.

H. H Elss RESILIENT CONTACT FOR BUMPER SWITCHES Filed Feb. 19, 1941 Heiss t lYaya? INVENTOR. J9 2 f W5 47;oe

Patented Feb. 16, 1943 RESILIENT CONTACT FOR BUMPER SWITCHES Harvey Heiss, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Molded Products Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,583

(Cl. G-52) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in contact switches for amusement game apparatuses in which a ball is projected upon a playboard for gravitation thereover into contact with bumper or target elements with which the switch is associated and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly eicient in use and economical in manufacture.

In bumper contact switches of the type used in connection with amusement game apparatuses there is generally employed a substantially rigid or xed contact member arranged to cooperate with a movable contact member to close a circuit when the movable contact member is caused to operate by the action of a ball against the bumper element with which it is associated. By virtue of this Xed or rigid contact element, whenever the movable Contact element engages the latter there is a tendency upon the part of the movable contact element when coming into abrupt Contact with the Xed contact element to bend or otherwise be distorted from its normal correct position, and as a result the contact between the contact elements is frequently imperfect or incomplete. Furthermore, by virtue of this abrupt contact of the movable contact element with the fixed contact element, there is a tendency by virtue of the constant engagement, of the Xed contact elements becoming worn or otherwise misshapen to the extent that the contact is incomplete or at times not completed at all. Furthermore, the abrupt Contact between the movable contact element and the fixed contact element reduces substantially the flexibility of the bumper structure to the extent that a ball engaging the bumper structure and intended to be rebounded substantially therefrom is in fact caused to come to a substantially dead or slow movement, thus decreasing the appeal and activity of the ball upon the board.

It is one of the salient objects of this invention to overcome these disadvantages.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

'Ihe invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional detail view of a playboard and bumper structure showing my improved contact switch associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same looking upwardly toward the underside of the board; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view partly in section of my improved contact switch showing a slightly modied form of bumper structure.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I 0 indicates a substantially inclined board down which a ball is adapted to gravitate. This board is provided with one or more openings II. Mounted on this board adjacent each of the openings is a Z-shaped bracket I2, one end of which is connected to the board by nut and bolt assembly I3. To this nut and bolt assembly is connected one side I4 of an electric circuit. The upper end portion of the bracket I2 supports a bumper hood or cap I5 mounted on the bracket I2 for oscillatory or tiltable movement and against which a ball gravitating down the board I0 is adapted to contact. Carried centrally by the cap or hood I5 is a substantially rigid contact nger or arm I6 carrying at its upper end, as at I'I, a spring structure I8 serving to yieldingly maintain the hood or cap I5 in its normal position, such as shown in Fig. 1.

This contact arm or linger IB extends through the opening I I and terminates a substantial distance below the board I0. Surrounding the lower end portion I9 of the linger or arm I6 is a contact ring 20 adapted to engage the lower end portion IS of the contact nger or arm I6 under certain conditions.

This ring 2U is carried by the lower convolution 2I of a coil spring 22 which likewise surrounds the lower end portion of the contact 1inger or arm IG. The upper end portion of the coil spring 22 is attached as at 23 to the board I!) by means of a screw element 24. This screw element connects the upper end portion or terminal of the coil spring with the opposite side 25 of an electric circuit.

In Fig. 3 my improved Contact switch is associated with a bumper structure having a tiltable plate 2S providing an annular beveled periphery 21 adapted to be engaged by a ball 2S.

This plate 26 is disposed beneath a fixed hood 29 and the plate surrounds the base 30 thereof, which base 3Q has a reduced sleeve 3| tting snugly into the opening II. The plate 26 is returned to its normal position shown in full line, by a spring 32 conned in the sleeve 3I and engaging the underside of the plate 26. In this form of construction the conductor I4 of the one side of the electric circuit is connected directly to the contact linger or arm I6 as at I4', and this conductor finger or arm I6 is connected as at I6 to the center portion of the plate or disc and the tendency to bend the parts or to become unduly Worn by constant contact is reduced to a minimum. Thus, by the use of this flexible contact member 22, the rebound action of the ball 28 is in nowise deteriorated or interfered with.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eiect, this is capable of variation and Vmodification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scopeV of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a board, a conductor member, a spring member', carried by the board and supporting said conductor member and constituting one side of an electric circuit, and, a second conductor member movably carried by the board and adapted for movement into engagement with the first conductor member and being formed substantially rigid and constituting the other side of the electric circuit.

2. In combination, a board, a ring-like conductor member, a coil spring carrying said conductor member substantially below the board and having one end portion connected to the board and constituting one side of an electric circuit, and a substantially rigid conductor member carried by the board and adapted to be moved into contact With said ring-like conductor member.

3. In combination, a board, a ring-like conductor member, a coil spring carrying said conductor member substantially below the board and having one end portion connected to the board and constituting one side of an electric circuit, a substantially rigid conductor member movably carried by the board and adapted to be moved into contact with said ring-like conductor member, means supporting said rigid conductor member and engageable by a ball gravitating down said board for tilting said rigid conductor member into engagement With said first-mentioned conductor member, and a spring positioned to yeldingly maintain said supporting means in a normal non-tilting position. i

HARVEY HEISS. 

